35 - A Visitor Returns
by Bluebird0032
Summary: An old friend of the McCains' arrives in North Fork just in time to meet the newest member of the family. Rated T for violence and intense/dangerous situations.


_**A Visitor Returns**_

"Where have you been?!"

Mark froze, startled by the volume at which his wife spoke. He stared at her for a few moments as the door shut behind him, finally replying as he slowly put his rifle in the stand beside the door.

"...On the range…?"

"Do you have any idea what time it is?!"

Mark slowly pulled his pocket watch out and looked at the time.

"...Five-thirty?"

"You told me you were going to be home half an hour ago!"

"I've been working in the barn for the last fifteen…"

"You're still late!"

Mark shook his head and started taking off his coat and boots.

"I had work to do, I lost track of time. You know how it can be on the range, things come up." Mark then saw that the table was set and supper was ready to be served. "...Why did you make dinner up here?"

"Oh, so now you don't like my cooking," Cassie retorted, tears welling in her eyes.

"No," Mark replied firmly, "I just didn't know we weren't eating with Ma and Pa. Look, I'm sorry I was late, but I didn't know you were making supper."

"That's not the point!"

"What is the point, then?"

"That you were gone and I was worried! The least you could do is have the common decency to be home when you tell me you're going to be!"

"Cassie, I was fifteen minutes late and if you would've checked the barn, you would've known that! I'm not a child who needs checking up on every hour of the day!"

Without saying anything else, Cassie burst into tears and ran into the bedroom, slamming the door behind her. Mark rolled his eyes and sighed in frustration as Daniel walked up to him.

"Papa, you trouble?"

Mark bent down and picked up his son, taking his hat and putting it on Daniel's head.

"I'm in trouble alright. What for, I'm not exactly sure."

Mark walked Daniel to the table and put him in the high chair before getting his son something to eat.

"So, you still think your Mama is gonna have a boy?"

Daniel quickly nodded with a wide smile on his face.

"Boy!" Daniel declared, clapping his hands before Mark gave him a bite to eat, then handed the fork to his son.

"Whether it's a boy or girl, you're going to be a good big brother, aren't you? You're gonna help your Ma out and be gentle, right?"

"Me 'elp! Me good! Me 'other!"

"Br-other," Mark corrected. "The word is brother."

"'Other!"

Mark chuckled and shook his head as Daniel took another bite. While he was happy to have his sister now, Mark had always wanted a younger sibling when he was a child, someone close to his age. He supposed that was part of why he and Rachael connected so well from the beginning. She was like the little sister he had always wanted and counted it a blessing to have Rachael and Lydia in his life.

"Papa, me p'ay baby?"

"Eventually you'll get to play with them, but it will be a while before the baby is big enough for you to play with."

Mark thought back to how small Daniel had been when he was born and marveled at how much his son had grown.

"Why Mama sad?"

"...Sometimes Mamas get sad, just because."

Cassie had just opened the bedroom door and heard Mark's answer.

"Just because?!"

Before Mark could respond, the door slammed shut again. Mark took in a deep breath and slowly let it out.

"Perfect timing… as always…"

Mark let Daniel finish eating, musing at how many questions his son was starting to ask. Afterwards he let Daniel play on the floor as he worked on the books. Satisfied that everything was in order, Mark played with his son for a while, "wrestling" with him until it was time to let Daniel start settling down for the night. After getting Daniel changed, Mark read his son a story, which Daniel fell asleep to halfway through. After putting Daniel down, Mark returned to the front room and took a deep breath before reaching for the handle of his bedroom door. However, Mark quickly realized it was locked.

"Cassie, open the door," Mark called.

"Go away!"

"We need to talk about this. Unlock the door."

Cassie didn't give Mark an answer.

"I can get the key, you know!"

Still, Cassie didn't respond. Mark gave up and grabbed his rifle, hat, and coat.

"Daniel's in bed, I'm going down the hill!"

Mark walked out the front door, almost slamming it shut, but catching it as he remembered that Daniel was asleep. Mumbling to himself, Mark walked down to his parents' home. He walked in the back door to see his Ma doing the dishes at the sink.

"Mark, I thought you and Cassie were spending the evening together?"

"News to me," Mark griped. "Where's Pa?"

"...In the barn."

Mark walked out of the kitchen and through the front room, not hearing Micah and Lydia say hello. He stormed out of the house and crossed the yard, entering the barn to see Lucas closing one of the stall doors.

Hearing someone enter the barn, Lucas turned around. Taking one look at the expression on his son's face, Lucas knew right away that something was wrong.

"...What happened?"

"I don't know!" Mark put his rifle aside and threw his hands up, taking a seat on the ladder to the hay loft. "I'm trying, Pa, I really am. I know she's pregnant, I know she's going through a lot with losing her Ma; but I don't know how much more of this I can take!"

Lucas covered his mouth with a hand and tried to stifle his laughter.

"This isn't funny!"

"Sorry…"

"Pa, it doesn't matter how much I try or how many things I do right, she'll always find something that I did wrong and blow it way out of proportion! She yelled at me for being fifteen minutes late coming home! Fifteen minutes! I was an hour late Monday, did she say anything then? No. I can't control what happens out on the range! She knows that! And she's not the only one with things going on in her life! I'm dealing with the cattle, the horses, the fencing, the books, the livestock, the stupid pump that keeps breaking; worrying about her and Daniel and the baby! I've tried to deal with her mood swings as much as I can, but a man can only take so much! Just once I'd like to come home without either having her yell at me or crying for no reason!"

Lucas opened his mouth to respond, but stopped, seeing that his son had more to say.

"And at night… oh, where do I begin? She's too hot, she's too cold; she's constantly getting out of bed to check on Daniel! Making all sorts of noise in the kitchen, trying to make some strange concoction for her to eat. Pa, I'm tired. No… I'm exhausted! And then not to mention trying to help Ben and… and whatever her name is…"

"Laura?"

"Yes, Laura! Every time I go into town it's like another civil war broke out between them! I don't mind helping them where I can, but… Pa, right now…" Mark pulled his hat off and slapped it across his knee. "I don't know what to do! I'm walking on eggshells whenever I'm around Cassie. I want to be there for her, I want to support her, but she's making it real easy not to!"

"So what are you going to do?"

"I…!" Mark quieted, then looked back up at Lucas, his tone of voice conveying the frustration he felt. "Well I don't know, that's why I'm talking to you!"

"Think about it, Mark. What are your two options?"

Mark sighed and rolled his eyes.

"Well obviously I'm not going to leave. But Pa, you don't understand!"

Lucas raised an eyebrow at his son.

"You're talking to a man that's been married for almost fifteen years of his life. Two wives, three pregnancies, and a whole lot in between."

"Pa, I'm going to lose my mind!"

Lucas was still trying to keep himself from laughing as he answered his son.

"I know it's hard, but just a few more weeks."

"Just as long as she doesn't keep this up after the birth… Andrew said sometimes things can stay the same for weeks after the baby arrives."

"I'm sure it'll all be alright. Until then, my best advice to you is to stay as calm and neutral as possible."

"Why am I the only one expected to think rationally?"

"Because you're not pregnant."

"You're a lot of help…"

"Mark…"

"I know, I know," he sighed. "Yes dear and I'm sorry."

"She'll come around eventually. Right now your best option is to relax so you don't destroy your marriage. It takes two to argue. Four months from now you'll look back and laugh about it all."

Mark shook his head as he stepped down from the ladder.

"...Thanks."

"Anytime."

"What section are we working tomorrow morning?"

"Bottom third of the west pasture."

"Alright, I'll probably meet you out there."

"You don't want to ride out together?"

"I think I'm gonna take BlueBoy for a good ride, provided it's not too cold."

"Alright. See you in the morning."

"Night, Pa."

Mark slowly made his way back up the hill, trying to let the last bit of anger he had diffuse. Once he got back home, Mark got the key to their bedroom from the cabinet and unlocked the door to find Cassie already in bed with the lamps turned down. He changed and got underneath the covers, becoming lost in his thoughts until they were suddenly interrupted.

"...I'm sorry."

Mark turned and looked towards his wife in the darkness, confusion on his face.

"What?"

"I was being completely irrational… I'm sorry."

Mark turned onto his side and wrapped an arm around his wife.

"...Guess my yelling didn't help matters, either."

"No… it was my fault. I'm sorry, Mark. I was getting a little worried, but I let it go way too far. And you were right… sometimes I do get upset for really no reason. I'm sorry, I…"

Mark could hear the tears in his wife's voice and gave her a kiss on the cheek.

"Just a few more weeks…"

"I wish this baby would hurry up and get here."

As his stomach growled, Mark suddenly realized neither of them had eaten dinner.

"Are you hungry?"

"You didn't eat?"

"No, I just fed Daniel supper."

"... I'm actually starving."

"Well then, it's a good thing I forgot to put supper away."

**1MC1**

The weeks went by, Cassie passing her due date. January turned to February and Mark was getting even more concerned about the pregnancy.

One evening in particular, Mark noticed that Cassie seemed to be especially not feeling well. She seemed extra tired and didn't say much over dinner; asking if they could go home after finishing supper with the rest of the family. Cassie went to lie down as soon as they got home and Mark read to Daniel for a short while before putting him to sleep.

After straightening a few things in the front room and tending to the evening chores, Mark joined his wife in the bedroom and laid down beside her, rubbing her back. The silence of the room was finally broken when Cassie turned to face her husband.

"...Mark, I think we need to go see Doc tomorrow."

"I know you're worried, I'm worried too, but he said we would just have to wait."

"No, it's not that…"

Mark could see the concern in his wife's face and could hear the worry in her voice.

"What is it?"

"I…" A tear escaped the corner of Cassie's eye as she spoke. "...It's been two days since I've felt the baby kick. At first I figured I just wasn't paying attention, but after two days…"

Mark put a hand on his wife's face and ran his thumb across her cheek. What Cassie had said worried him even more, but Mark wanted to stay strong for her.

"...I'm sure everything's alright. I'll take you into town first thing tomorrow morning."

Cassie moved closer to Mark as he wrapped his arms around her.

"Mark, I'm scared…"

"It's alright," Mark assured as he gently ran his hand across her back. "Everything's going to be alright. This baby's just a little stubborn, that's all."

"Mark, I'm sorry for how much of a mess I've been this whole pregnancy…" Tears steadily fell down Cassie's face as she spoke. "I know this hasn't been easy on you and I know how tired you must be getting and…"

"Hey now, there's no reason to cry, Cass." Mark wrapped his arms tighter around his wife. "It's all going to be alright. We've both been dealing with a lot and everything will smooth out. Like I've said, I will always need you to be honest with me about how you're feeling."

Cassie started crying harder as she pressed herself against Mark.

"I don't want to lose the baby…"

"We won't, Cass. The baby is going to make its entrance any time now."

Mark spent a long while consoling his wife that night before she finally drifted off to sleep. He lay awake for a long time, trying to assure himself that everything would be fine before exhaustion finally won over.

The next morning after an early breakfast, Mark took Daniel to his parents' house.

"Morning, Son," Lucas called as Mark entered the kitchen. "What brings you down this early?"

"I was wondering if Ma wouldn't mind watching Daniel for a few hours? I want to take Cassie into town to see Doc."

"Is everything alright?" Milly asked, taking Daniel from her son.

"...Cassie hasn't felt the baby move recently. We want to make sure everything is alright."

"Let us know if there's anything else we can do."

"Thanks. We'll be back as soon as we can."

"Take as much time as you need," Lucas told him.

"I'll take care of your barn for you this morning," Micah offered.

"Thanks, I appreciate it. I'll see you all when we get back."

Mark returned up the hill and hitched the team before getting Cassie and helping her up into the buckboard. It was a quiet ride into town as both husband and wife thought about what could happen.

When the couple walked into the clinic, they were greeted by Andrew.

"Good morning to you; I see we don't have a baby yet."

"...Andrew, I think something's wrong. I haven't felt the baby kick since Wednesday."

"...Let's get you to the back room."

Mark and Cassie followed Andrew back before Mark helped his wife onto the table. Andrew started his examination and was soon listening for a heartbeat. Cassie and Mark were intensely watching the doctor's face for any indication and finally saw a wide smile appear.

"There we are; a nice strong heartbeat. Cassie, would you like to listen?"

Cassie quickly nodded and Andrew gave her the stethoscope. Mark watched as relief came over her face.

"If there's still a heartbeat, why hasn't the baby been kicking?" Mark asked.

"I'm not sure… there's so much about pregnancy we still don't know." Cassie handed the stethoscope back to Andrew and Mark helped his wife sit up. "But I want you to drink a sasparilla, Cassie."

"A sasparilla?" She asked in confusion.

"Sometimes it will make the baby more active. After the baby starts kicking again, if you go more than six hours without feeling anything, I want you to come back in."

Cassie nodded as Mark thanked the doctor and helped his wife down. They said goodbye and headed to the hotel restaurant where they met Lou and asked for a sasparilla.

"It's hardly eight o'clock," Lou began, "Whatever would ye be wantin' a sasparilla this time of the morning for?"

"Andrew said it might help the baby move…" Cassie replied. "There's a heartbeat, but it's been a while since I've felt anything."

"I'll get ye one right away."

Lou left and soon returned with a sasparilla for Cassie.

"I thought the baby was due in January?"

"That's what we thought," Mark answered. "But apparently this baby's a little too comfortable."

"Well if ye be needin' anythin', let us know."

"We will."

Mark and Cassie were returning to the buckboard when Benjamin Evans came up to them.

"Mark, I'm glad I ran into you."

"Morning, Ben. What can I do for you?" Mark asked, hoping something else hadn't happened between him and Laura.

"Oh, it's not like that. I just wanted to say thanks again for all your help with everything going on between Laura and me. I appreciate it; I think we've finally got it all worked out."

"Glad I could be of help."

"I have to get back to the school before the children arrive. See you both later!"

Mark and Cassie waved as the man walked away. As Mark started helping Cassie into the buckboard, he suddenly heard his uncle's voice from down the street.

"Ann Dodd, as I live and breathe!"

Mark suddenly turned to see Johnny and a woman talking in front of the telegraph office.

"No…"

"Mark, what is it?"

"Somebody decided to finally show up." Mark helped Cassie back down from the buckboard. "Come on, there's someone I want you to meet."

Mark took Cassie's hand and crossed the street, approaching Ann and Johnny.

"I'll let Lou know. How-" Johnny stopped short as he saw his nephew come up beside him. "Mark, there's someone I want you to meet."

"Mark?" Ann asked in surprise.

"Mrs. Dodd," Mark greeted. "Uncle Johnny, I already know her. Mrs. Dodd visited North Fork years ago."

"I can see a lot has changed," Ann pleasantly chuckled. "This must be your wife?"

Mark nodded as he introduced the two women.

"Mrs. Dodd, this is Cassie; Cassie, this is Ann Dodd, she was one of my mother's best friends back in Enid."

"A pleasure to meet you, Mrs. Dodd," Cassie said with a smile.

"Oh, please, Ann is perfectly fine. I see Congratulations are in order; when are you due?"

"A week and a half ago," Cassie laughed.

"Ann, how long are you staying in town?" Johnny asked.

"A little over a week, provided I don't overstay my welcome."

"Never," Mark replied. "You'll have to come out to the ranch for supper, Pa will sure be happy to see you. Are you busy tonight?"

"Sorry, Mark, I already beat you to it," Johnny stated. "Ann is joining our family for supper tonight."

"But I would love to come back out to the ranch sometime while I'm here, Mark."

"How about-" Mark suddenly stopped short as he felt Cassie tightly grip his arm. "Cassie?"

"I think…" Cassie paused as she again tightened her grip on Mark's arm and slowly let out a deep breath. "That's a contraction…"

"Do you want to try to make it home or…"

Mark was interrupted as Cassie let out a loud cry of pain.

"Mark, you get her to Doc's; I'll ride out to let your parents know," Johnny said.

Mark started to pick Cassie up, but she shook her head.

"The… exercise… will… do me… good…"

Mark and Ann helped Cassie to the clinic. Seeing that Cassie had finally gone into labor, Andrew quickly saw them into the back room.

"Looks like that sasparilla did more than we anticipated," Andrew joked.

"I haven't… touched it… ye… agh!" Cassie again clutched her stomach as she was helped into the bed.

"Mark, I'll check in later," Ann called as she made her way to the door. "Is there anything I can do until then?"

"No, but thank you."

As Ann left, Andrew turned to Mark.

"If you want to wait in the-"

"No," Cassie begged as she gripped Mark's hand. "Mark, please don't go."

"I won't, Cass."

"...Your water hasn't broken, so things could be a while yet," Andrew informed them. "I'm going to get some things ready and get Alyssa down here to help. If you need anything, get me."

Mark nodded as he answered the doctor.

"Thanks, Andrew."

**2MC2**

Johnny went to the hotel to tell Lou that Cassie had gone into labor before riding out to the McCain ranch. Milly answered the door and happily greeted the marshal.

"Johnny, good to see you. What brings you out this way?"

"I just thought you might want to know that Cassie's gone into labor," Johnny informed with a gleam in his eye. "Where's Lucas?"

"He's working the southern pasture; would you mind getting him for me?"

"Of course not."

Johnny remounted his horse and headed out to the range, keeping an eye out for his brother-in-law. He finally found Lucas and Micah working on the very edge of the property.

"Lucas, Micah!"

"Johnny, what brings you out here?" Lucas asked.

"Just the birth of your newest grandchild."

"What?"

"Cassie went into labor when she was in town, I told Mark I would get you and Milly."

"Thanks, Johnny. We'll be in town as soon as we can."

Johnny waved as he rode away. Micah and Lucas finished the section of fence they had been working on before riding back to the homestead.

"What took so long?" Milly asked as the men rode up.

"Had to finish what we were working on."

"Cassie's in labor!"

"Don't you remember how long Daniel's birth took?"

"That doesn't mean this one will take so long! If we're not there when the baby's born…"

"Don't worry, we'll be there in plenty of time."

Lucas and Micah hitched up the team and the whole family headed into town. Micah said he would take Daniel and Lydia over to Johnny's office to wait so Lucas and Milly could be there for Mark and Cassie.

As soon as they entered the office, Lucas and Milly could hear Cassie's cries emanating from one of the back rooms.

"What can I…" Alyssa stopped short as she saw who entered the office. "Oh, Lucas, Milly, I'm glad you're here."

"How's Cassie?" Milly asked.

"...In labor," Alyssa chuckled. "But she's doing good; her water broke about an hour ago."

"How's Mark?" Lucas inquired.

"Nervous, but he's doing good. I'd invite you back, but things are already a bit crowded and-"

Alyssa was interrupted by Andrew telling Cassie to not push yet and the young mother yelling, "I'm not trying to!"

"...Chaotic."

"That's alright," Lucas assured. "Will you just let them know we're here?"

"Of course."

Lucas and Milly anxiously waited as minutes turned to hours and morning gave way to afternoon. Various friends and family members stopped by to see if there was any baby yet, but Lucas stood almost speechless when one person in particular walked through the door.

"Why Lucas McCain, you look like you've seen a ghost. I might have aged, but not that much!"

"What… Ann, what are you doing here? When did you get in? It's good to see you!"

"I got in on the train last night. I already ran into Johnny this morning and then Mark came up and introduced his wife right before she went into labor."

"Ann, I'd like you to meet my wife, Milly."

"...It's a pleasure to meet you," Ann greeted.

"The pleasure is mine; Lucas has told me so much about you."

"The good things, I hope."

"There's nothing else to tell," Lucas remarked.

"Lucas, I can't believe how long it's been… It's not possible that Mark is old enough to have a child already."

"This is actually number two. Daniel is over at the hotel with Micah… he used to be our marshal."

"Oh, yes, I remember him."

"Did Mark get a chance to invite you out to the ranch?"

"He was trying to, but Johnny beat him to it and had already invited me to have supper with his family this evening."

"Why don't you come out to the ranch Monday night?"

"Lucas, I'd love to come out to the ranch, but I'm sure your daughter-in-law is going to be exhausted; I wouldn't want to be any trouble. I'll be here for a little over a week, maybe a later date might be better?"

"I'll talk to Mark and Cassie… after things settle down."

"I just wanted to come by and see if there was any news yet, but it was wonderful seeing you again, Lucas, and meeting you, Milly."

"We look forward to having you out to the ranch sometime," Milly replied.

"Bye, Ann."

Lucas and Milly continued to wait. It was nearing four o'clock when they finally heard a baby cry, Andrew coming out to the waiting room a few minutes later.

"Lucas, Milly, you've another grandson," the doctor happily announced. "Mark said he would come out to get you as soon as Cassie is done feeding him."

"Thanks, Andrew."

A short while passed before the waiting room door opened again.

"You two ready to meet the youngest McCain?"

Lucas and Milly followed their son back to Cassie's room, Lucas keeping a hand on his son's shoulder.

"Cassie, how do you feel?" Lucas asked; Alyssa acknowledging the grandparents before taking her leave.

"Tired, but…" Cassie looked down and smiled at her son; her face said it all. "Do you want to hold him, Uncle Lucas?"

"Is that a question?"

Everyone chuckled as Cassie handed the baby to Lucas.

"Well I know you two already had a name picked out," Milly began. "Are you finally going to tell us?"

"Matthew Paul McCain," Mark answered. "...Where's Daniel?"

"Micah was watching him and Lydia over at the office. We'll get him something to eat for supper in a little bit and then bring him over," Lucas answered.

"Thanks."

"You two must be starved," Milly commented. "Do you want something to eat?"

"Alyssa is getting us something from the hotel," Cassie replied.

After Lucas and Milly had both held the baby for a while, they left saying they would be back with everyone else after supper.

Mark sat down beside Cassie, putting an arm around her. He rested his head on hers and looked down at his son, smiling.

"He definitely takes more after you." Mark brushed a finger across Matthew's palm and smiled as his son grasped his finger. "Are you alright, Cass?" He asked, seeing a tear escape the corner of her eye.

Cassie nodded as she gently caressed the top of Matthew's head.

"...I was just so scared… I thought I might lose him; but he's here… finally here."

Mark and Cassie quietly sat together, again marveling at the life they had created. The silence of the room was eventually interrupted by a knock at the door.

"Come in," Mark called.

Ned and Helen entered the room, wide smiles on their faces.

"I hear I have another nephew," Ned stated. "Congratulations you two."

"Thank you," Cassie told her brother before turning to Helen. "Do you want to hold him?"

"Would you mind?"

Cassie shook her head as she handed Matthew to her sister-in-law.

"What, you don't trust me?" Ned asked, feigning hurt.

"You'll get your turn," Cassie promised. "Who has Amelia?"

"Johnny and Lou. They said they would drop by tomorrow morning, after the rest of the family has finished bothering you."

"All we had heard was that it was a boy," Helen began. "Do you have a name yet?"

"Of course they do," Ned began with a teasing gleam in his eye. "It's Ned Junior."

"Matthew Paul," Cassie chuckled.

"There's always the next one," Ned hinted.

Cassie raised her eyebrows and shook her head.

"I'll let you name your own child Benedict."

Mark and Helen both turned to Ned before declaring, "Benedict?!"

Ned gave his sister an annoyed look, causing Cassie to laugh.

"I didn't know you didn't tell your wife your actual name," Cassie defended.

"And just who did I _really_ marry?" Helen demanded, trying to keep a straight face.

Ned sighed and rolled his eyes.

"...Benedict Edmund. My father's idea..." As Ned spoke, the despise he felt for the name became evident.

"It's not that bad," Mark offered. "It could've been Benedict Arnold."

"At least my parents had that much sense..."

Everyone else in the room laughed before Ned changed the subject. The two couples visited for a while before Ned and Helen took their leave. A while later, Lucas and Milly returned with the rest of the family. Cassie let Micah hold Matthew as Mark took his other son from his Pa. Lydia was quite intrigued by the newest member of the family and wasn't too happy when Lucas told her it was time to go.

"But Papa-"

"It's time we let Mark and Cassie get some sleep. You can see the baby in the morning." Lucas handed his youngest grandson to Cassie and started to reach for Daniel.

"That's alright, Pa," Mark began. "Daniel can stay with us. Andrew brought that cot in so I could stay with Cassie, and Daniel can sleep with me."

"Are you sure?"

Mark nodded as he answered, "We'd like some family time." He paused for a moment before asking, "Pa, what's your middle name?"

Lucas hesitated in answering.

"...Why do you ask?"

"I was just wondering. We talked about it when we were trying to pick a name for Matthew and I realized I still didn't know."

"That's another conversation for another day."

"Lucas?" Milly asked with a chuckle.

"Goodnight."

Everyone laughed and said goodnight before the door finally closed behind the family. Mark again took a seat on the bed beside his wife, grabbing Daniel's hand as his son reached out towards Matthew.

"Gentle," Mark reminded. He took his son's hand and gently brought it to rest on Matthew's head. "What do you think of your baby brother?"

Daniel simply continued to look at Matthew in confusion, unsure of what this all meant. Cassie and Mark chuckled and spent a while talking to each other and their sons that evening. When they were getting ready to go to bed, Mark told Daniel to give his Ma a kiss. Daniel did so, and then bent down and gently kissed Matthew on the forehead before declaring, "Baby 'other!"

**3MC3**

A week later, Lucas found himself laughing as his son walked into the barn, still half asleep.

"You alright there?"

"Two hours," he mumbled.

"What?"

"Matthew was up for two hours last night, crying. We tried everything. He wouldn't stop until he finally wore himself out and fell asleep." Mark shook his head as he started walking towards what used to be BlueBoy's stall. "Daniel was such a better sleeper. I-" He stopped and looked around. "Where's BlueBoy?"

Lucas laughed harder and shook his head.

"What are you laughing at?" Mark yawned.

"_Your_ horse is up in _your_ barn."

Mark moaned and put his back to one of the posts, sliding down the beam.

"I'm losing it…" Mark suddenly let out a groan. "I didn't even milk the cow this morning!"

Still laughing, Lucas slapped his son on the shoulder and helped him up.

"Come on, I'll give you a hand before we head out."

Father and son walked up the hill together, Lucas helping his son with the barn chores before Mark started saddling BlueBoy.

"Pa, I don't understand it," Mark mumbled, breaking the silence. "...Daniel slept so well… his crying was so quiet…"

"You got lucky."

"But Matthew…" Mark shook his head. "How is a person supposed to function on such little sleep?"

"It'll get better with time, I promise."

"Was Lydia that bad?"

"Lydia wasn't. You, on the other hand…" Lucas chuckled to himself as he thought back. "I had plenty of mornings like you're having right now."

Lucas and Mark headed out to the range and worked for the morning before returning to the homestead for lunch. When they walked into Lucas and Milly's home, they were greeted by Daniel and Lydia who had been playing with their toys.

"I'll see how long until lunch is ready," Lucas told Mark, picking Lydia up and heading for the kitchen door.

Milly and Micah greeted Lucas as he came into the kitchen and Milly told him lunch would be ready in ten minutes.

"Where's Cassie?"

"Matthew didn't sleep well last night and she was exhausted. I offered to watch Daniel for her so she could get some rest and a little done up at their house before tonight."

"You should've seen Mark this morning," Lucas laughed. "Reminds me of the weeks following his birth."

"They were lucky Daniel was such an easy baby."

"Mama, was I easy baby?"

Lucas and Milly looked at each other and chuckled before Milly answered her daughter.

"Yes, you were a fairly easy baby."

"What about you, Lucas-boy," Micah teased. "Where you an "easy baby?""

"A perfect angel."

They continued talking until lunch was ready, Daniel coming through the kitchen door as Milly set the meal on the table.

"Gan'Pa?"

"Someone's hungry," Lucas commented as he set Lydia down on the bench and picked his grandson up. "Let's get your Pa."

"Papa sleeping."

"What?"

Lucas and Milly walked to the kitchen door and slightly opened it to see Mark asleep on the couch, dead to the rest of the world.

"...Guess we better let your Papa sleep then."

After lunch, Lucas unsaddled his son's horse and headed back out to the range for a few hours before returning home. After he had taken care of Razor, Lucas washed up and headed inside to find Mark still on the couch, in the same position he had fallen asleep. Lucas sat down on the couch and shook his son awake.

"Sleep much longer, you're not going to get any sleep tonight."

Still waking up, Mark slowly opened his eyes and looked around.

"What… Pa? What time…" Mark stopped short and bolted upright as he saw the time piece on top of the fireplace mantel. "Four-thirty?! Pa, why didn't you wake me up?"

"Because you obviously needed the sleep," Lucas chuckled.

"Well when… how long have I been asleep?"

"Since lunch."

"Lunch? I don't remember…"

Lucas just shook his head and laughed at his son's confusion.

"I suggest you get home and clean up a little before our company arrives."

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to fall-"

"It's alright, there wasn't that much to do, anyway. You head on home and get the rest of your family."

Mark left and returned half an hour later with Cassie and Matthew. As Cassie helped Milly with dinner, Lucas and Mark chopped a little more firewood, waiting for Micah to return to the ranch with Ann Dodd.

As Micah pulled the buckboard into the yard, he couldn't help but call out, "Well, look who decided to wake up. Have a nice nap?"

Ignoring Micah's comment, Mark walked to the buckboard and helped Ann down.

"Mrs. Dodd, it's good to see you again."

"Please, Mark, like I said before, Ann is fine. It's good to see you again, as well. And you, Lucas."

"Ann," Lucas greeted with a smile. "Mark and I will be right in after we take care of the horses. Why don't you two go inside and warm yourselves up?"

After the team was put away, Mark and Lucas carried the firewood inside before joining everyone else in the dining room. As everyone else got to know Ann, Lucas, Mark, and Ann reminisced about Enid.

"Mark," Ann began, "Do you remember the time you got stuck in that tree behind the church?"

"...I what?"

Ann and Lucas chuckled before she explained.

"I used to teach a children's class at the church on Saturday mornings. There was always a short break in between the two lessons. Anyway, one Saturday you strayed from the group and ended up climbing a tree behind the church and getting your foot stuck. Your Pa had to climb up after you and had quite a time getting you down."

"I'm sure you weren't too happy with me," Mark chuckled, looking towards his Pa.

"Your Ma was the one who wasn't happy with you; you somehow managed to rip one of your new shirts."

"Some things never change," Cassie teasingly mused.

"Ann, what are you doing now?" Milly inquired.

"I spend most of my time volunteering at a hospital for children. My uncle died a few years… I guess quite a few years back and left me quite an estate, so I haven't need to worry about working a regular job; though I do take in some extra sewing here and there."

"It sounds as though you enjoy it?"

"Very much. My son… he died in the same epidemic as Margaret. Being able to help keep other families from that… that heartbreak, is very fulfilling."

"I'm sorry, I…"

"No need to apologize… life is for the living."

Much later that evening, Mark and Lucas drove Ann back to town. Things were quiet on the way back home until something finally hit Lucas.

"Wild, wild Lucas… you heard, didn't you?!"

"...Maybe?" Mark innocently asked.

"That's what you meant when… Mark, I'll have you know…"

"Pa, you can't expect to send an eleven year old boy to bed like that and _not_ pique his curiosity."

"So you were listening and _still_ brought up the trout flies?"

Mark suddenly quieted as he thought back to Ann's first visit.

"Mark?"

"...I liked her, Pa. I liked her a whole lot."

"But?"

"...But I was doing a whole lot more than listening. And when I saw you that close… I all of a sudden felt real empty on the inside. I wasn't sure how I felt about it. It didn't take me long after Ann's visit to realize that I was actually alright with you getting married again, but in the moment…"

"I understand, Son. Guess it's a good thing you took a liking to Milly; there's no telling what you could've conjured up to keep us apart!"

"...Pa, how serious were you about Ann?"

"...In the end, Mark, I knew she wasn't the mother for you or the wife for me. We were still healing from old wounds when Ann visited the first time. When I met Milly… for the first time, I was really ready for someone else to be my wife."

Mark thought about what it would feel like if he lost Cassie… how much Lucas must've gone through to get to that point.

"I'm glad you asked her, Pa."

**4MC4**

"Ann, I didn't realize you were leaving today," Johnny commented as he walked up to the train station. "I thought you weren't leaving for a few days yet."

"...It's time for me to get back home."

"You know you could stick around; North Fork's a nice, growing community."

"...I enjoyed seeing you and Lucas and Mark again, but I can't stay."

"Is something the matter?"

Ann gave a faint, hesitant smile.

"...I was just being a bit foolish, I suppose."

"Foolish?"

"...I… I had hoped that maybe… maybe there still could be something between Lucas and myself. I wasn't aware that he had remarried and… I suppose it was a bit juvenile to come out here on a whim, expecting Lucas to not have found someone else by now."

"Not juvenile at all," Johnny assured. "I'm sorry things weren't as you expected."

"It's my own fault, I could have written or wired…"

"It was good to see you again, Ann. I'm glad you came out. I hope you'll come to visit again."

"...Thank you, but I think it's best for me to move on. Just seeing the three of you again… it has brought back so many painful memories."

"That's not moving on… that's running away."

"Sometimes that's all a person can do. Life is for the living."

"But is it really a life if all you're doing is hiding from the past? That's what I tried doing for years and it got me into a heap of trouble. You have to face it."

"...Maybe one day."

The conductor called for all the passengers to board, causing Ann to turn.

"Ann," Johnny called, reaching for her arm. "I understand how painful it can be. Just know that you're always welcome here."

Ann gave a small smile.

"Thank you, Johnny."

The marshal watched as Ann boarded the train and it eventually pulled out of the station. He heavily sighed before shaking his head and returning to the office.

Half an hour later, the office door was thrown open and Johnny saw his wife run into the office.

"Lou, what's the matter?"

"Maddy is gone!"

Johnny stood and walked to his wife.

"What do you mean, gone?"

"I mean our daughter is missin'!"

"Calm down…" Johnny put his hands on his wife's shoulders. "What happened?"

"I put the children down fer their mornin' naps in my office as usual. I went to check on 'em a few minutes ago and Maddy wasn't there!"

"Did you check the hotel?"

"Of course I did!"

"It's alright, I'm sure she just wandered off. Where are the other children?"

"Laura is watching them. Johnny, 'tis freezin' out there! If she-"

"I'm sure she won't get far, someone will see her."

Johnny and Lou left the office before splitting up to look for their daughter. Johnny checked the general store first, wondering if Maddy had wandered in there looking for sweets.

"Can I help you find anything Johnny?"

"Beth, have you seen Maddy?"

"No, I haven't…?"

"She disappeared from the hotel and wandered off somewhere."

"Sorry I can't be of any help, but I haven't seen her. If I do I'll bring her over to the hotel."

"Thanks."

Johnny checked several more businesses before stopping by the church. He looked around for a while before knocking on Reverend Graft's office door.

"Johnny, what can I do for you?"

"Maddy is missing, have you seen her?"

"Maddy? No, I haven't. How long has she been missing?"

"I don't know… Lou went to check on the children during their naps and Maddy was gone. I can't figure out where on earth she would wander off to."

"Did you check the livery? You know how fascinated children are with animals."

"I'll check, but Maddy is deathly afraid of horses, I can't imagine her going there."

"I'll keep an eye out."

"Thanks."

Johnny checked the livery before broadening his search to some of the side streets. He checked their own home before knocking on neighbors' doors, finally returning to the hotel to meet his wife.

"Did ye find anythin'?" Lou asked as she walked through the front doors.

"I'm afraid not."

"Johnny, what if-"

Johnny reassuringly wrapped his arms around his wife.

"It's going to be alright, we'll find her. You stay here and keep an eye on the other children and wait to see if she comes back. I'll get Ned and we'll search town again."

"And if ye don't find anythin'?"

"We'll keep looking."

Johnny gave his wife a kiss before grabbing his hat and leaving the hotel. He walked to the Osbornes' and had just entered the yard when Ned came from the house.

"Don't worry, I didn't forget about my shift," he began. "You must be getting quite anxious to get out of the office if… you…" Ned paused as he saw the look on Johnny's face. "What's wrong?"

"Maddy's missing."

"Missing? What do you mean, missing?"

"She wandered off and we can't find her."

"Where have you looked?"

"The main road, the side roads, our side of town…"

"Where do you want to start?"

The men began their search, looking high and low for Madelyn. The more time that passed, the more worried Johnny became. His daughter was curious, but she hadn't ever wandered off like this before. With no sign of her after several hours and the weather turning colder, Johnny really started to worry about what could have happened.

The two men eventually returned to the office to try to come up with a better plan than aimlessly wandering the town.

"You don't have any idea at all where she might've gone?" Ned asked.

"If I did, I'd be there!" Johnny closed his eyes and sighed. "I'm sorry, Ned. I'm just worried."

"It wasn't a very intelligent question. I'm sure we'll find her."

Johnny collapsed into his desk chair, shaking his head.

"We've looked everywhere, I don't know where else to go."

"...We've looked everywhere in town."

"What are you getting at?"

Ned rummaged through his desk and pulled out a map of North Fork and the surrounding areas. He spread it out on Johnny's desk, using various objects to weigh down the corners.

"We've looked all over North Fork, but even a five-year-old could get quite a ways on foot by now. If we get a few men together, we can create a perimeter around North Fork and start searching the outlining areas." Ned pointed as he went on, "If we space the men this far apart, they'll be close enough to hear gun fire if anyone finds anything, but far enough away so their calls for Madelyn don't overlap each other and cover up any response."

"Let's get started."

**5MC5**

"Well, we did it again."

Mark looked up at his Pa as he finished straightening the fence post he had been working on.

"We did what?"

"It's actually what we didn't do. We didn't get enough nails last time. We're going to be out by mid afternoon."

"I'll ride to town and get some."

"I had a feeling you would say that," Lucas chuckled. "While you're in town, will you check in with Nils to see if he has that saw blade done?"

"Sure thing."

Mark put his tools inside his saddle bag and mounted up on BlueBoy.

"And if you see your uncle, tell him Milly agreed."

"Agreed?"

"He wanted to take Lou out of town for the weekend and asked if we would watch their children."

"Oh. If you need any help let us know."

"I might just take you up on that."

"Be back in a while."

Mark kicked BlueBoy into a lope and headed for town. He noticed the weather taking a turn for the worse and hoped that another storm wasn't getting ready to hit.

As Mark rode into North Fork, he realized the streets were strangely quiet. There were a few people milling about, but something seemed off.

He stopped at the livery first and made his way inside, calling for the liveryman.

"Nils? ...Nils?" Mark looked around, but didn't see anyone. "Nils?"

Figuring Nils was probably on an errand, Mark headed to one of the supply stores next, but found that the doors were locked. Mark looked down the street and realized that most of the businesses were closed, even the saloon.

Utterly confused, Mark made his way to his uncle's office. He stepped inside to see Ned sitting at Johnny's desk, looking at a map.

"Ned, what's going on? Why is everything closed up?"

"Maddy is missing."

Mark looked at Ned in disbelief.

"...As in my cousin, Madelyn?"

Ned nodded and took in a deep breath before letting it out and leaning back in his chair.

"She wandered off some time this morning, we have yet to find a trace of her." Ned starting pointing at the map as he continued to explain, "We have men searching the outskirts of town and the surrounding areas. As more men are able to get off work and help, I'm sending them out."

"I'll get Pa. Where should we start?"

Ned examined the map for a few brief moments before replying.

"Start from your ranch and work towards town, one of you take the shortcut and the other one take the back way. By the time you get back here I'll figure a new area for you to search."

"Alright."

Mark ran from the office and jumped back on his horse, quickly making his way home. When Mark got to the range, however, Lucas was nowhere to be seen. The young rancher again kicked BlueBoy's flanks and headed to the homestead where he found Razor waiting outside of his parents' home.

"That was fast," Lucas commented as Mark entered the sitting room. "I didn't…"

Cassie could see the worry in Mark's face and walked to her husband's side.

"Mark, what's wrong?"

"Madelyn went missing this morning, She wandered off and no one has seen her. Pa, Ned wants you and me to head back towards town taking the shortcut and backroads."

Lucas nodded, reaching for his hat and coat as he turned to Micah.

"You coming?"

"...I'm afraid I wouldn't be much help out there, Lucas-boy. I'll keep an eye on things here."

Lucas again nodded, remembering his friend wasn't as young as he used to be. After telling their family goodbye, father and son headed outside and mounted their horses before splitting up.

Lucas's mind was racing as he rode. He was not only worried about his niece, but knew what must have been going through Johnny and Lou's heads. He had been in their shoes more times than he cared to count.

It was a long ride back to town as Lucas meticulously surveyed the land. In several places where there was a lot of shrubbery, Lucas would get down from Razor and walk his horse, carefully examining his surroundings.

When Lucas rode into town, he saw a large crowd outside of the marshal's office. Walking up beside Mark, Lucas asked him what was going on.

"They found Madelyn's doll about four miles east of town," Mark quietly answered, still trying to listen as Ned gave instructions. "They're trying to reorganize the search."

Lucas looked through the crowd and finally found his brother-in-law with an arm around Lou, worry etched on their faces. Ned started pairing men up in groups of twos, but when he got to Lucas, the rancher took Ned to the side.

"I need to ride with Johnny."

"But you're both good trackers, it'd make more sense to put you both with someone less experienced."

"Usually I would agree with you, but look at him."

Ned briefly turned and stole a glance at Johnny.

"Ned, he won't be thinking clearly. He isn't thinking clearly, that's why you're organizing this whole thing. He needs someone who's been through this before, someone who understands what he's going through and won't say the wrong things."

"...Alright." Ned turned to address the few men that remained. "Andrew, you go with Mark. Sweeney, you come with me, and then Lucas and Johnny will ride together."

Lucas walked up to Johnny and Lou, putting a hand on his brother-in-law's shoulder.

"Come on, let's get going."

"...Lucas, what if…"

"She's going to be alright," he interrupted Johnny. "Let's go find her. Lou, keep some coffee and hot chocolate going for when we bring her back."

Johnny walked his wife back to the hotel before he and Lucas mounted up. Lucas knew better than to try and initiate small talk and they quietly set out, searching the countryside. Finally, Johnny couldn't take it anymore.

"Lucas, what am I going to do? What if we can't find her? What if she's hurt or… or…"

"Don't go there, Johnny. We won't give up until we find her. Thinking about all of the "what ifs" isn't going to help us find her. You gotta get your head screwed on straight and focus on finding her. Maddy needs you to focus."

"I could've worked from the hotel this morning… I should've…"

"Don't go there. This is no one's fault. Children wander no matter how careful we are. Just focus on finding her, that's all."

The men continued to look for hours, Lucas holding off as long as he could before suggesting they head back to town.

"No! I can't go home without Maddy!"

"Johnny, listen to me," Lucas firmly ordered. "It'll be completely dark before we're half way back to town. We can hardly see anything as it is. We can start up as soon as the sun rises."

"We'll get lanterns!"

"Johnny, I know how worried you are-"

"No you don't!"

Lucas ignored the comment and continued.

"But we'd risk missing something if we tried just looking with lanterns, and they won't last long enough to make the trip back out here profitable. We have to wait."

Defeated, Johnny gave in and quietly rode back to town. Both of the men's hearts sake even deeper when they returned to the marshal's office and realized nothing else had been found.

Lucas and Mark stood in the office, watching as the crowd dispersed and Johnny and Lou walked home with Madison and Peter.

"...Lucas, do you really think we'll find her?"

Lucas closed the office door and turned to face Ned.

"We will."

Mark looked at his Pa and saw the uncertainty in his eyes.

"...Do you think we'll find her… alive?"

"...I don't know."

There were several moments of silence before Lucas spoke again.

"Do you mind if Mark and I crash here for the night? No sense in riding back home to turn around in a few hours."

"You're more than welcome, after all you are still technically a deputy. Mark on the other hand…" Ned teased.

"Who said I wanted to be around you anyway, Benedict?"

"Benedict?" Lucas asked.

Ned glared and Mark as he mumbled, "Yeah… Benedict."

**6MC6**

It was a very restless night for everyone as they worried about what had happened to Maddy. Lucas, Mark, and Ned were up and around long before the sun rose. They sat around the office, drinking coffee as they waited for the rest of the search party to arrive at the office.

"...I just don't understand it," Mark finally declared, almost slamming the coffee pot back on the stove. "Why would she wander that far? I can understand if she wandered over to the store for candy, or came down here to find Uncle Johnny, but what would drive her to wander out of town?"

"I don't know," Lucas replied with a heavy sigh. "The trouble children can get themselves into…"

"She had to be freezing after ten minutes, especially if she had wandered out of the hotel without her coat on. She wouldn't have even made it out of town by then."

"What I don't understand is how she got that far without anyone seeing her," Ned commented.

"That one is easy to figure," Lucas replied as he stood and walked to the window. "There's a series of alleyways out behind the hotel that no one walks through, except for the occasional drunk or student playing hooky. She could have very easily made it out of the more populated area of town without being seen."

"But they found her doll on the road," Mark reminded. "Which meant she had stuck to the roads. The east road out of town isn't very heavily travelled, but _someone_ should have seen her."

"Not necessarily," Ned admitted. "It's winter and it's mostly just ranches out that direction. Most of the ranchers would have stocked up on all the supplies they needed so they could make it through the snow without having to come to town."

There were a few moments of silence before Mark spoke up again.

"...Pa, how was Uncle Johnny doing last night?"

"About how I expected. The helplessness that comes with not knowing where your child is… it's something I pray neither one of you will ever have to experience."

Ned looked up at the clock on the wall and let out a heavy sigh.

"Back when I was studying law, they said that if you don't find your criminal within twenty-four hours…"

"Don't bring up the statistics," Lucas firmly interrupted.

"...I said criminal, not missing person…"

"And where were you going with that "helpful" bit of information?"

Ned conceded with a nod and walked back to his desk before taking a seat.

Mark looked up at the clock before shaking his head.

"It's still going to be a while before the sun is up and everyone is ready to go. Pa, I'm gonna ride back home and let everyone know what's going on."

Lucas nodded in acknowledgment before Mark grabbed his hat, coat, and rifle, and headed to the livery. After saddling BlueBoy, he mounted up and headed home.

Mark rode into his yard and dismounted, heading inside to find Cassie sitting in front of the fire, feeding Matthew. She stood and greeted Mark with a kiss before asking if they had found anything.

"Her doll was on the road a few miles out of town, but that was found late yesterday afternoon and we haven't found anything since. I came by to let everyone know what was going on. We'll head back out in about two hours."

"If she was out there all night…"

"I know."

"...I can't imagine what Aunt Lou must be feeling."

"Her and Uncle Johnny were pretty devastated when they went home last night."

"...If you talk to Aunt Milly, let her know I can watch Lydia if she wants to go into town to be with Lou. I'm sure she could use the company."

"I will."

"Do you want something to eat?"

"I'll just grab some jerky and the biscuits leftover from yesterday. You look like you could stand to go back to sleep for a few hours once he's done eating."

"I really don't mind."

"I know." Mark gave his wife a gentle kiss and smiled. "That's part of why I love you so much."

Mark got some food and spent a few minutes with his wife before heading down to his parents' house. He walked in the back door, surprised to find Milly and Micah both sitting at the table.

"Didn't expect you two to be up."

"We couldn't sleep," Milly replied. "Maddy?"

"We found her doll yesterday afternoon, but that's all. We're headed back out in a while."

"Is there anything we can do?"

"...Cass said she would watch Lydia if you wanted to go into town to be with Lou. I'm sure she would appreciate you being there, Ma. I can drive you to town if you want."

"I can do it, Mark," Micah offered. "It'll take you longer to get back to town in the buckboard and I'm sure they'll be needing you for the search."

"...Thanks, Micah, but if we leave now we'd have plenty of time and… I would really rather not leave Cassie here alone with the boys."

Micah nodded in understanding.

"I'll be ready in a few minutes," Milly stated. "Micah, would you mind just taking Lydia up when she wakes?"

"Sure thing."

"Sorry to leave you with everything, Micah," Mark began. "I just…"

"You don't need to explain. I'm more help around here than out there. I'll make sure everything stays in order."

"Thanks."

Mark hitched the team and tied BlueBoy to the back of the buckboard before driving his Ma into town. They had just turned a corner when they saw Lou running to the marshal's office, Peter in one arm, and Madison holding onto her mother's other hand, trying to keep up. Mark urged the team down the street and brought the rig to a stop in front of the jail before helping his Ma down. They hurried inside the office to hear Lou exclaim, "He's missin'! Somethin's wrong!"

"Just what happened, Lou?" Ned asked.

"Johnny wasn't anywhere ta be seen in the house this mornin'!"

"I'm sure he just went out to try to find Maddy," Lucas tried to assure.

"Not without tellin' me! Not without sayin' goodbye! Not this way! I'm tellin' ye, Lucas, somethin' is the matter; I can feel it in me bones! I…" Lou stopped and suddenly gasped.

"What is it?" Milly asked as she reached out, taking Peter from Lou's arms as Mark tried to steady her.

"I came down from our room this mornin'... I didn't think about it at the time because I didn't realize he was gone!"

"Didn't think about what, Lou?" Lucas pressed.

"His gun belt, it twas sittin' on the table in the foyer! Don't ye understand?! Somethin' is wrong! He wouldn't just leave it!"

"We'll find him, Lou," Lucas promised. "We'll find them both."

**7MC7**

Several hours earlier, Johnny had lain awake, worried sick about his daughter. The guilt he felt was unbearable as he thought about Maddy out there somewhere, freezing and possibly hurt. The possibilities of what could have happened continued to plague Johnny until he couldn't take it anymore and quietly slipped from his bedroom.

The marshal quietly made his way down the stairs, avoiding the steps that he knew were apt to squeak. Upon reaching the foyer, Johnny lit the lantern that sat on a small table and began to look around for a piece of paper in order to write a note for Lou. He suddenly stopped, seeing an envelope that had been slid underneath the door with his name on it.

Johnny quickly tore open the envelope and unfolded the paper inside.

"Gibbs,

If you want to know where your daughter is, come to the border pass and wait at the split rock.

No guns, no games.

And if you want to see her alive, don't tell another soul."

Rage boiled inside of Johnny as he crumpled the paper and threw it onto the floor. He ran to the barn and saddled his horse before racing out of town. Dozens of thoughts ran through the marshal's head; questions that the marshal didn't have answers to swirling in his mind.

Johnny finally reached the border pass and slowed his horse. He was desperate to find his daughter, but didn't have a clue about what he was riding into. He slowly proceeded, carefully watching his surroundings. Suddenly, the early morning silence was broken by the sound of a gun being cocked.

"Alright, that's far enough."

Johnny brought his horse to a stop and looked around in the darkness, trying to find the source of the voice.

"Step down from your horse."

The marshal followed the order and stepped down, suddenly feeling someone come up from behind and shove him into a boulder.

"Spread your arms and legs."

Johnny complied and waited for the man to finish searching him before he finally turned around. In the darkness it was difficult to make out the man's face, but his figure seemed familiar.

"Where's my daughter?"

"Don't worry, Mr. Gibbs. She's safe… for now."

Without hesitation, Johnny stepped forward and wrapped the man's shirt inside his fist.

"What's that supposed to mean?!"

"It means nothing will happen to her as long as you cooperate. But I assure you, if you lay one more hand on me…"

Johnny slowly released his grasp and took a half step back from the man.

"Good. Now, mount back up."

"Where are we going?"

"You'll see."

Johnny mounted his horse and reached for the reins, but the other man took them and led Johnny's horse a short distance before mounting his own mare.

The minutes crawled by as the men rode. Johnny was still trying to figure out who the man in front of him was, but even more so, the father was trying to understand why this man had taken his daughter.

The sun eventually began to color the sky and day break finally came. Soon, Johnny thought he vaguely recognized the property they were on. When they came over one final hill, Johnny saw a house and knew exactly where he was… the Stacey ranch.

Rage again boiled inside of Johnny as he realized that someone he had spent years protecting and serving had taken his daughter. He glared at the man in front of him with a look of death.

"Oliver, I swear…"

"I just do what I'm told, it was his idea. I didn't lay a hand on her."

"I don't care! You'll pay for this, you'll both pay!"

"Seeing as how you're the one with a daughter missing I wouldn't go making idle threats."

"I don't make idle threats," Johnny spat back.

The men rode up to the house and dismounted, Oliver taking a firm grip of Johnny's upper arm and showing him inside. As they stepped inside the office, Johnny saw Jeff Stacey turn around in his wheelchair. Oliver let go of Johnny, only for Johnny to lunge towards the old man and grab his shirt, lifting Stacey from the wheelchair. Unfazed, Stacey stood, surprising the marshal. Oliver stepped forward and hit Johnny across the back of the head with his pistol; hard enough to send Johnny to the floor, but not hard enough to knock him unconscious.

"Surprised?" Stacey taunted.

"Where's my daughter?" Johnny demanded, slowly standing.

"Don't worry, you'll see her soon enough."

"I want to see her, NOW!"

"Quite a temper we have, don't we?"

"Stacey, if you've laid one hand on her, so help me I'll make you wish you were never born!"

"Don't you want to know why I have your daughter?"

Johnny again started to lunge towards the man, but Oliver again pistol whipped him, sending the marshal to his knees.

"I warned you, Gibbs."

"Warned me about what?!"

"To not double cross me."

"To not…" Johnny slowed, realizing what the man was talking about. "That was over ten years ago!"

"Yes. A very long ten years ago." The man began to pace the room, a sly grin on his face. "I've been waiting a long time for this."

"It was one lousy bet!"

"A bet that cost me quite a bit of money and respect."

"I made a mistake, Stacey. I shouldn't have tried to cut a deal with you."

"Your mistake wasn't in making a deal with me. It was double crossing me. And I aim to make you pay."

"What do you want from me?"

"See, that's been my problem all these years… I wanted to make you pay, but I just couldn't decide what the best way for you to pay was. I could ask for money, but… let's be honest, I don't have much time left to spend that money, anyway."

"Just cut to the chase! Where is Maddy and what do you want with me?!"

"After thinking hard and long, I finally decided that since this all started with you trying to break Lucifer, maybe it should end with you breaking a horse, too."

"What do you mean?"

"I've got a fiery stallion out in the barn. He sent a couple men to Doc's just getting him in there. I've had him about a year… getting him ready, just for you. You break him, I'll let your daughter go. You don't break him… your wife may not see either one of you again."

"I want to see Maddy."

"You'll see her soon enough. I'm giving you until noon tomorrow to break that horse."

"Noon tomorr- that's not nearly enough time!"

"Then I'd stop wasting your time in here and get to work."

Oliver grabbed Johnny's arm and brought the man to the stables. Johnny's mind was still spinning, trying to come up with a way to get his daughter out of there. The marshal doubted that Stacey had any intention of letting either one of them go.

As they walked into the barn, Oliver pointed out the horse Johnny was supposed to tame. He could see that the animal had been severely abused and malnourished. Johnny slowly approached the horse, holding out his hand.

"Easy… easy boy…"

As the horse saw that Johnny was coming towards him, he started screaming, backing up on his hind legs, kicking at the stall door.

"I'm not going to hurt you…"

Johnny suddenly turned as he heard a whip being snapped, causing the horse to act out even more.

"What did you do that for?!" Johnny demanded of Oliver.

"Because I wanted to," the man replied, daring Johnny to come at him.

Johnny returned his attention to the horse, trying to figure out what to do. He had been a rodeo rider, not a horse whisperer; he didn't know how he was supposed to have this horse broken before the next day.

He continued inching his way closer and closer to the violent horse before Johnny finally reached the stall door. Every time Johnny felt he was starting to gain some trust with the horse, Oliver would snap his whip again, causing the horse to act out in fear.

After hours of working with the animal, Johnny was finally able to open the stall door and lead him to the corral. The temperature difference between the barn and the corral wasn't much, but it was enough to put the horse even more on edge. Johnny tried putting a blanket on the horse, but he didn't like that all. He got up on his hind legs, bringing his front hooves down on the man.

Ignoring the pain, Johnny continued to try and get the saddle blanket on the horse. He finally realized it was no use and threw the blanket aside, realizing he would have to try to get on the horse bareback.

For hours, Johnny tried to get on the horse. The animal refused to cooperate, repeatedly kicking Johnny and at one point, running him down. Johnny continued to fight against the pain he felt, knowing that Stacey would not hesitate in making good on his threats.

Johnny had again been beaten down by the horse when Stacey emerged from the house. The man looked up at the setting sun, then at Johnny before calling to Oliver.

"Bring him in before that animal kills him."

"No!" Johnny yelled as he slowly tried to get up.

"Don't worry, you'll get your chance again first thing tomorrow morning."

Oliver came up behind Johnny and grabbed his arms. The marshal used what little strength he had left to try to fight against Oliver, but his efforts were futile.

Oliver dragged Johnny inside and through the house, shoving him inside a room and locking the door. Johnny banged on the door, yelling for Oliver to open it until exhaustion finally forced him to give up and he sank to the ground in pain.

"...Papa?"

Johnny whipped around to see his daughter huddled in the corner of the room, a thin blanket wrapped around her. Using all the strength he could conjure, Johnny crossed the room and took his daughter in his arms as they both began to cry. Johnny rocked his daughter back and forth as she buried her head into his shoulder, sobbing. Finally, Johnny set Madelyn on his lap and looked her over, placing his hands on both sides of her cheeks.

"Are you alright? Did they hurt you?"

"Papa, I want to go home," Maddy cried.

"It's going to be alright..." Johnny gently ran his thumbs across her cheeks, wiping away her tears. "Did they hurt you?"

Maddy shook her head before Johnny let her again bury her head into his shoulder.

"It's going to be alright…"

"Papa, why…" Madelyn was interrupted by a hiccup as she sobbed. "Why won't they let… let us… g-go?"

Johnny gently ran his hand through her hair, giving Madelyn a kiss on the head.

"They just want Papa to do something for them and then we can go."

"I want Mama…"

"I know, I know…"

Johnny continued to rock his daughter until she finally fell asleep. He looked down at her, concern etched on his face.

How was he supposed to get her home?

**8MC8**

Ned had split the search party into two groups. One group continued to look east of town for Madelyn, while the other again created a perimeter around North Fork and began their search for Johnny. Knowing Mark and Lucas were their best trackers, Ned put Mark in charge the first group and Lucas in charge of the second.

It was just past noon when Ned had finished checking in with Lucas and was riding out to check with Mark when he saw his brother-in-law riding down the road.

"Find anything?" Ned called.

Mark shook his head in defeat.

"Not a trace. This snow doesn't help matters, either."

"Why were you headed back towards town?"

"To talk to you. Most of the men are getting too tired and too cold. They're giving up and I don't know what to do. I admit, our chances… of… finding her alive are pretty slim… but I'm not giving up until we find her. ...Unfortunately, most of the other men don't see the use."

Ned and Mark turned around to see Dwayne riding up.

"That's because we won't find her until spring."

"I don't care!" Mark nearly yelled. "If this was your daughter, or your niece, or your cousin, you wouldn't be giving up!"

"I'm just being practical! She was out there all night! If you want to freeze looking for a corpse, be my guest."

Ned watched the anger in Mark's face grow as the man rode away.

"Of all the..."

"It'll be alright, Mark. We'll find her."

Mark let out a deep breath and shook his head.

"I'm running out of ideas, Ned. There has to be a faster way to cover more ground."

"I can't exactly help you there, but I can give you another set of eyes. It'll be a few hours before your Pa checks in with me again, where should I head?"

"...I guess no one has made it out to the border pass yet. I'll go with you."

The men rode in silence, both worried about the missing five-year-old. They combed through the pass, looking for something… anything that might lead them to Maddy; but nothing was to be found.

The sun was starting to set when Ned suggested they start making their way back to town.

"...How long do you think until people will stop volunteering to help look?" Mark asked. "We've already lost a few men today…"

"What matters is that we'll keep looking until we find her."

Ned and Mark made it back to the office, feeling more and more helpless with every person that came back to say they hadn't found anything. Ned thanked them for trying and told each man they would start up again at sunrise.

Lucas was the last one to make it back to North Fork. No one had to ask; his face said it all.

"I just don't get it…" Ned sighed. "Why leave his gun?"

"My guess," Lucas began, "Is that he went out looking for Maddy and was so caught up in worrying about her that he forgot about it."

The men sat around the office, drinking coffee for quite a while before Mark finally broke the silence.

"...What if Madelyn didn't wander off?"

Ned sat forward in his chair and put his coffee mug down on the desk.

"What do you mean?"

"I know it's _possible_ for her to have wandered off without anyone seeing her… but it's not really likely. And yeah, she's five, but a very smart five… she would know better than to wander from town and I'm pretty sure she knows the streets well enough to get either back home or to the hotel."

"What are you suggesting happened, then?" Lucas asked.

"...If she went missing… and then Uncle Johnny went missing a few hours later… maybe… maybe someone kidnapped her to get back at Uncle Johnny?"

"But who would want to hurt Johnny?" Ned inquired.

"...He has a past," Lucas admitted. "I'm going to head over and see if Lou has any ideas."

"I'll go with you, Lucas."

"Well I'm not staying here," Mark declared as he stood.

The three men walked over to the Gibbs' home. Milly answered Lucas's knock and let the three men inside.

"Did you find anything?" She quietly asked.

"I'm afraid not. Where's Lou?"

Milly gestured to the sitting room where Lou sat on the couch, staring out the window. Mark stayed back in the foyer, knowing it would probably best to give them some room. He sat down on the stairs and toyed with his hat for a while before he saw Peter crawl into the room. He made his way to the corner of the room, entertaining himself, fascinated with his fingers and hands. Mark let him be until he saw Peter pick up a piece of paper and start shoving it into his mouth.

"Hey now, that's not for you to eat." Mark walked over and picked Peter up, pulling the wad of paper out of the infant's mouth. "Just what did you…"

Mark stopped short as he opened the piece of paper and read it. He ran into the other room, interrupting Lucas.

"Pa, take a look at this."

Mark handed the note to Lucas, who read it aloud.

"Gibbs,

If you want to know where your daughter is, come to the border pass and wait at the split rock.

No guns, no games.

And if you want to see her alive, don't tell another soul."

"Who would do such a thing?!" Lou cried.

"It's going to be alright," Lucas tried to assure. "We'll find them. Mark, Ned, let's go."

The two younger men went along with what Lucas said until they were out of the house and well out of earshot.

"Pa, we've already searched the border pass," Mark informed him. "There wasn't a trace."

"Why didn't you tell me inside?"

"Because I didn't want Aunt Lou to know."

Lucas nodded in understanding and the men headed to the marshal's office. They surrounded the desk and carefully studied the map, trying to come up with the best plan.

"...I'm assuming Lou didn't have any answers," Mark commented.

"No, she couldn't think of anything," Lucas replied. "If they took the border pass… there's no telling where they could be. They could be halfway to Mexico by now."

"Lucas, do you know anything about the ranches past North Fork's jurisdiction?"

"Most of them are small ranches or farms ran by some not so friendly people. With your working for the Marshals Service, we could try searching the ranches, couldn't we?"

"Not really without a warrant. We could try, but if they order us off their land, there's not much we can do." Ned briefly paused before pointing to another area on the map. "What about this one? Seems quite isolated."

"That… oh, that's just Jeff Stacey's old spread. Last I heard he moved and was still trying to sell it."

"So someone could hide out there and no one would know?"

"Theoretically. I…" Lucas stopped as he saw a strange look come over his son's face. "Mark, what is it?"

"Stacey… Pa, you remember when Uncle Johnny came to visit, shortly after we had moved here? How Uncle Johnny tried making a deal with Mr. Stacey and then his conscience caught up with him?"

"What's your point?"

"The man might just be old and crazy enough to try to get back at Uncle Johnny for it."

"Son, the man's old and disabled. What's he going to do?"

"You told me Ralph Hayden was in a wheelchair, didn't you? That didn't stop him from trying to kill you, did it?"

Lucas considered what his son was saying before giving a passive nod.

"...You might be right."

"Well it's the only thing we have to go on," Ned stated. "Help me get a few men together and we'll come up with a plan."

**9MC9**

Early the next morning, Johnny woke as he felt someone pulling Maddy out of his arms. He resisted, trying to maintain his grasp until Jeff Stacey entered the room in his wheelchair, a gun in one hand.

"Don't worry, we'll take good care of her. You best get out there and get to work."

Johnny hesitantly nodded, trying to block out the sound of his daughter's cries.

"Papa, no! Don't go!"

Johnny gently put his hand to her cheek and gave Maddy a kiss.

"It's going to be alright. You behave, I'll be back in a while."

The marshal looked down and saw Oliver's gun. He contemplated reaching for it, but the man quickly dissuaded Johnny's thoughts.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you, seeing as how I'm the one with your daughter."

Johnny hesitantly left the room and walked out the yard. The horse was waiting for Johnny, almost daring the man to try to come close.

The marshal slowly approached the animal, trying to keep it calm and steady. Once he got inside the corral, Johnny was almost immediately kicked by the horse before the stallion trotted away.

After getting he bearings again, Johnny began the long process of getting the horse to let him come close. It took Johnny several hours to get back to where he had been the night before, but Johnny eventually made it on top of the horse. However, he couldn't stay on long.

Again and again, the marshal was thrown to the ground. Without hesitation, Johnny would make his way back to the horse and remount.

Oliver and Stacey sat inside the house, periodically watching Johnny through a window as they played a game of chess. It was nearing ten o'clock when Stacey finally broke the silence.

"He's making too much progress."

"I thought you wanted him to break the horse?"

"No, I wanted him to die trying."

"Then why did you have me bring him in last night?!"

"It was getting dark, I couldn't see well enough. Get out there and do whatever it takes to stop him."

"...What about the girl?"

"Don't worry about the girl, I'll take care of her! Now get going!"

As Oliver left the house, Stacey walked back to the room Madelyn was in and opened the door. She cowered in the corner of the room until he picked her up, at which point the little girl began lashing out.

"No, no!" Maddy yelled, kicking her feet and banging her fists against the man. "Let me go! I want my Papa! Let me go!"

"Don't you worry, you little brat. You'll get to see your father."

Stacey carried a fighting Madelyn out to the yard. The sound of his daughter's voice briefly distracted Johnny, allowing the horse to buck him off again. Johnny tumbled to the ground and looked up; rage boiling inside of him as he saw Stacey holding his daughter.

"I just want you to know, Gibbs," Stacey began, "That she'll be well taken care of. No need for you to worry."

"I'm not done yet!"

Mustering all the strength he had left, Johnny fought to remount the horse. The sound of Oliver's whip again agitated the horse, causing him to buck harder. Johnny continued to hold on, refusing to give up.

Suddenly, Johnny felt the whip sting his back. Oliver repeatedly sent his whip flying, hitting the horse or the marshal every time.

Suddenly, Johnny felt the whip wrap around his arm and pull him off the horse. He turned over and looked up just in time to see the horse's hooves coming down on him.

Just as Johnny blacked out, a gunshot sounded in the distance.

Oliver and Stacey looked up to see several men riding towards them at full speed. Oliver immediately dropped his whip and ran the other way, only to see more men approaching from the opposite direction. He tried to run down the side of the barn, only to hear a horse come up behind him and then feel someone tackle him from behind.

"You good, Ned?" Mark called.

"I'm fine."

The rest of the posse quickly surrounded Stacey, everyone staring at the man, unbelieving that he was standing on his own two legs.

"Let her go," Lucas ordered.

"Or what? You'll shoot me? Hate to break it to you, McCain, but if you shoot me… well, something just might happen to her, and you wouldn't want to risk that, would you?"

"It's over, Stacey, let her go."

"I don't think so. But since you're so good at giving orders, why don't you order these men to stand down before this gets ugly?"

Lucas hesitantly nodded to the men.

"Good. Now, I want you to all step away and-" Stacey suddenly let out a loud yelp as Madelyn bit his hand.

Mark rushed the man and pulled Maddy away from him, then ran to his uncle and started working to pull Johnny out of the corral, a sobbing Madelyn in his lap.

Once Mark and Madelyn were out of the way, the other men quickly took hold of Stacey, letting Lucas handcuff him. Ned walked up with Oliver and quickly took over, allowing Lucas and Andrew to come to Mark's aid. Mark moved aside so Lucas and Andrew could take his position outside the corral fence and successfully pull Johnny out. Andrew immediately began examining the marshal, appalled at the man's condition.

"We're going to need a wagon, we can't just push him into the saddle with someone."

Lucas immediately went to the barn and looked for a team, then hitched them to the wagon that sat beside the barn.

"Lucas, Andrew, you need any more help?" Ned called.

Andrew shook his head as Lucas voiced his reply.

"Just get those sorry carcasses off to jail."

As the rest of the men headed out, Lucas and Andrew moved Johnny to the back of the wagon. Mark then climbed inside with Maddy and let her lie beside her father; the little girl's cries bringing tears to his own eyes.

Lucas and Andrew tied their horses, along with BlueBoy and Johnny's horse to the back of the wagon and soon started the long drive back to North Fork.

A little over half way home, Maddy's cries had quieted to a whimper. She realized her Pa wasn't waking up and turned around, reaching up for Mark.

"It's alright, Madelyn," Mark gently whispered. "It's all over now…"

"They hurt Papa…" Maddy cried.

"I know, but Doc Andrew is going to make him better. It'll be alright."

"I want my Mama…"

"I know, you'll be home soon."

As soon as Lucas brought the team to a stop in front of the clinic, Lou came running from the hotel.

Mark stepped out of the wagon and handed his cousin to his aunt.

"Oh thank God!" Lou cried, tightly wrapping her arms around his daughter. "Are ye alright?"

Maddy nodded and buried her head into Lou's shoulder, crying.

"Johnny, what of-" Lou gasped as she saw Lucas and Andrew pull Johnny from the back of the wagon. "What happened?!"

"He's in a bad way, but he'll be alright," Andrew briefly assured before disappearing into the clinic.

Mark and Lou followed, Mark staying in the waiting room as Lou went on. A few moments later Lucas came out and took a seat beside Mark, letting out a heavy sigh. He looked over at his son and knew he was struggling to take everything in.

"...Are you going to be alright?"

"Pa, I… I can't imagine…" Mark was at a loss for words. "I can only think about what I would be feeling, if it had been Daniel…"

"And?"

"And I'll never understand how someone could become so cruel, so bitter that they would take an innocent child away from their parents. That they would do… do that to Uncle Johnny. Maddy… I can't fathom…" Mark again paused and shook his head. "...She's so scared. Pa, what… why would Stacey do such a thing? It was one bet!"

"... I'm not saying this to justify what he did, Mark. But that "one bet" cost Jeff a whole lot of money and respect. He sure enough asked for it, but the problem was that he didn't learn from his mistakes. This… this is what happens when you let bitterness fester. He just continued to live like he was the victim and finally… I guess he wanted to see someone else suffer."

"People like him… like Neff Packer… I… I'll never understand them."

"I would hope not."

Mark looked to the door before turning back to Lucas.

"Pa, do you think they'll all be able to recover from this?"

"...It'll be hard. It'll take time. But with enough love and support, they'll make it."

A few minutes later, Milly and Ned entered the office. Not much was said until Andrew finally came through the door.

"He'll pull through… he just won't be up and around for probably two months or so."

"What about Maddy?" Milly asked.

"Traumatized, but she's young enough she'll hopefully forget in time."

Mark stood and turned to his parents.

"I'm going to ride home and let Micah and Cassie know."

"Alright," Lucas replied.

Mark left the clinic and rode home. After taking care of BlueBoy, Mark entered his house to find it empty. He walked down the hill and entered his parents' home through the back door to see Cassie working on supper. Daniel ran up to him, calling, "Papa! Papa!" Mark picked his son up, tightly wrapping his arms around him.

"Did you find her?" Cassie asked.

Mark stepped to his wife and gave her a long kiss before answering.

"We found Madelyn and Uncle Johnny this morning."

"Uncle Johnny? When did Uncle Johnny turn up missing?"

"Yesterday morning."

"What happened?"

"...An old rancher decided he wanted to get back at Uncle Johnny for something that happened a long time ago. We're not exactly sure what happened, but... Uncle Johnny was in pretty bad shape."

"Is he going to be alright? What about Maddy?"

"It'll be awhile before he's up and around again, but Andrew said he'll pull through. Maddy wasn't hurt, but she's pretty shook up."

"What about Aunt Lou?"

"I'm not really sure how she's handling it… she was relieved that Madelyn was alright, but seeing the condition Uncle Johnny was in…"

"Maybe we should offer to take the children for a few days."

"...I don't think so. I think… I think what's best for them is to have the whole family together."

Cassie nodded in understanding and crossed the kitchen floor to add more vegetables to the pot on the stove.

"Where's Matthew?"

"He and Lydia are taking a nap."

"Micah?"

"I think he fell asleep in the front room again."

Mark slightly chuckled and gave his wife a kiss on the cheek before walking out of the kitchen, Daniel still on his hip. The sound of Micah's snoring filled the sitting room and a small smile played on Mark's face as he walked to his sister's bedroom.

Mark pulled the blanket over his sleeping sister and then crossed the room, looking down at his youngest son who lay asleep in the cradle.

There were several moments of silence before Daniel turned to Mark and asked, "...Papa, you sad?"

Mark used his free hand to wipe away the tear that had escaped the corner of his eye.

"No, not sad… just grateful."

Mark gave his son a kiss on the head and continued to stand there, looking between two of the greatest gifts he had ever been given.

**10MC10**

Late that evening, Lucas briefly knocked on the door of Johnny's room before stepping inside. He saw that his brother-in-law was awake, staring out the window.

"Lou said you were awake… I won't bother asking how you feel."

Johnny slowly turned to look at Lucas as the tall rancher took a seat beside him.

"Lucas, I…" Johnny closed his eyes and shook his head, letting out a deep breath.

"You don't have to say anything if you're not ready."

"...How did you do it? A single father, way out here in the middle of nowhere… a reputation bigger than the territory itself and already dealing with the loss of Margaret… how did you let him out of your sight?"

"It was hard, Johnny… really hard. I wish I could tell you that it gets easier… but it doesn't. There were times I'm sure I worried too much, times I held his hand too long… but I had come too close to losing him too many times to make myself let go. I don't think that your children's childhoods will be as hard as Mark's were… I hope and pray they aren't. But even if they are… I guess the only piece of advice I can give you is to not get so caught up in the "what if" that you miss the good times. Let your children be children. Let them play, let them enjoy life… but use the hard times as opportunities to teach them the hard lessons in life. They're going to learn them one way or another… it's going to be best if you're there to walk them through it. ...Maddy might only be five… and yes, I hope she forgets… but she won't forget right away. Don't just ignore what happened because you're afraid of facing what happened… I learned that lesson the hard way with Mark. She's going to need to talk about it. You're going to need to explain what happened. And then, hopefully one day, she will forget."

"...But I won't. Lou won't. Having your child taken from you…"

"...It brings you to the most vulnerable time of your life. Don't be ashamed of that. Talk about it with your wife. Work through it together. And eventually, to some extent, you'll be able to let go." Lucas waited a few moments before going on. "...I know it's going to be a while before you're physically able to return to the office. I want you to know that I'm here to help Ned out as long as you need me to. And once you're healed, if you need to take the family somewhere and have some time to heal in that sense, too, I'll stick around as long as you need me to."

"I couldn't ask you to-"

"You're not asking. As a friend, as family, this is what I want to do."

"But Milly-"

"She understands. Besides, Micah never un-deputized me, so technically I'm still North Fork's deputy."

"...Thanks, Lucas, for everything."

"If you need anything, you let us know."

"I will."

The two brother-in-laws spent quite a while talking that evening, Lucas helping Johnny through some of the worries and fears he was facing. It was nearing eleven o'clock when Lucas returned to the waiting room.

"How is he?" Milly asked.

"...There's a long road ahead, but he'll be alright. Lou?"

"...It will take time, but I think she'll be able to cope."

Lucas pulled his wife into his arms and gave her a long kiss.

"Are you alright, Lucas?"

"...I just know all too well what Lou and Johnny are going through." Lucas rested his forehead against hers as he went on. "...But thankfully, it's all behind us now."

"Should we try to make it home?"

"Everyone else is probably well asleep by now… we wouldn't want to wake anyone up," Lucas remarked with a sly grin. "...Guess we'll just have to suffer through a night at the hotel…"

"I thought you might say that."


End file.
